Brandon Sutter
| birth_place = Huntington, New York | home_town = Red Deer, Alberta, Canada | draft = 11th overall | draft_year = 2007 | draft_team = Carolina Hurricanes | career_start = 2008 }} Brandon Sutter (born on February 14, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is the son of former player Brent Sutter and a member of the famous Sutter family. Playing Career Brandon played major junior hockey with the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League (WHL) under head coach and father Brent Sutter. During the 2006–07 season, he was selected to represent the WHL at the annual ADT Canada-Russia Challenge. Additionally, Brandon was selected to play in the 2007 CHL Top Prospects Game in January. In the off-season, Sutter was drafted 11th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. After a brief stint with Carolina's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Albany River Rats at the end of his 2007–08 WHL season, he debuted in the NHL with the Hurricanes in 2008–09. He scored his first NHL goal on October 23, 2008 against Marc-Andre Fleury of the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the next game, on October 25, 2008, Brandon suffered a concussion after a collision with former Hurricane Doug Weight of the New York Islanders. He had his head down as he was leaning forward for a loose puck in the neutral zone when Weight caught him with his shoulder. Although the hit was ruled as legal and Weight was not assessed any penalty, it re-sparked the debate in the NHL on head shots. Brandon returned to the line-up after missing eight games. On July 12, 2011, Brandon signed a three-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes worth $6.2 million. On June 22, 2012, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins (along with Brian Dumoulin and Carolina's 2012 NHL Entry Draft first round pick (which the Penguins used to select Derrick Pouliot), in return for Jordan Staal). On March 12, 2013, In a game against the Boston Bruins, Brandon scored two goals, 3 minutes & 24 seconds apart, in the 3rd period that led to a 3-2 comeback victory for the Penguins. On August 5, 2014, the Penguins announced they had re-signed him to a two-year contract, worth $6.6 million. On July 28, 2015, Brandon was traded by the Penguins along with a 2016 NHL Entry Draft 3rd-round pick to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Nick Bonino, Adam Clendening and a 2nd-round pick in 2016. On August 4, 2015, the Canucks announced they had signed Sutter to a 5-year, $21.875 million deal. Brandon played 16 games in the 2015–16 season before it was revealed that he required sports hernia surgery. He missed 33 games before returning to the Canucks lineup on January 26, 2016. However on February 9, 2016 (in his fourth game back since the surgery), Brandon suffered a broken jaw in a game against the Colorado Avalanche which sidelined him for the remainder of the season. He managed 5 goals and 4 assists (9 points) in 20 games for the Canucks in an injury-plagued 2015-16 season. In August 2016, the Canucks announced that Brandon had switched from number 21 to 20 to let newcomer Loui Eriksson wear his old number 21. On January 4, 2017, he was awarded his second career penalty shot where he scored against Mike Smith of the Arizona Coyotes. Career Statistics Regular season and playoffs International International Play }} Brandon (who has dual citizenship of both the United States and Canada) elected to play for the latter in international competition. He represented Team Canada extensively during his junior career at the under-18 and under-20 levels. Brandon competed in two IIHF World U18 Championships in 2006 and 2007, losing the bronze medal game in both tournaments. Shortly after being drafted into the NHL in the summer of 2007, he was chosen to represent Team Canada at the 2007 Super Series, an eight-game showdown between Canada and Russia's under-20 teams, where father Brent was head coach. Playing Game 7 in his hometown Red Deer, Brandon scored a goal and was named player of the game. Coincidentally, the match also marked the last junior game Brent coached in Red Deer where he had previously just completed a seven-year coaching career with the Rebels. Brandon made his second under-20 appearance for Team Canada at the 2008 World Junior Championships in the Czech Republic where he helped Canada win gold, overcoming Sweden 3-2 in overtime. Personal Life Brandon grew up in Huntington, New York, Chicago, Illinois and Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. He is part of the famous Sutter hockey family. Brandon is the son of Brent Sutter, who coached him in junior with the Red Deer Rebels and Team Canada at the 2007 Super Series. Brent is a former head coach of the Calgary Flames. He has an older brother named Merrick, who currently serves as the Rebels video coach and a younger sister named Brooke. His cousin Brett Sutter was a teammate of his with the Rebels who was drafted two years ahead of him by the Calgary Flames and is currently the captain of the Charlotte Checkers with the Carolina Hurricanes organization. Brandon's cousin Brody Sutter was formerly a forward for the Western Hockey League's Lethbridge Hurricanes and was drafted 193rd overall by Carolina in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Brody is still with the organization playing the team's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. Category:1989 births Category:Carolina Hurricanes draft picks Category:Carolina Hurricanes players Category:Pittsburgh Penguins players Category:Albany River Rats players Category:Red Deer Rebels players Category:Vancouver Canucks players